Review: Broadway Musicals

Please don't feel like you have to read and comment on this post if you really could care less about Broadway Musicals! But I'm really quite obsessed with them so I thought I'd write up a short review summary of all the musicals I saw during my trip to NYC, just in case anyone is interested.

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying

An amazing production! This show really had the whole package: an impressive set, fun musical numbers, and fantastic acting performances. Dan Radcliffe is not the best singer, but what he lacked in singing, he made up for in sheer enthusiasm (and pretty impressive dancing) that was a delight to watch. John Larroquette was also brilliant with the most spot-on comedic timing. I was absolutely unable to stop myself from jumping out of my seat in applause after certain musical numbers. Highly entertaining and highly recommended!
(Website)

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

This musical was about three drag queens who travel from Sydney to the middle of the Australian Outback in a bus they've nicknamed Priscilla. Suffice it to say, it was probably the gayest thing I've ever seen. I loved it! It was totally fun! I still had glitter in my hair the next day from when it rained down on the audience. The costumes were definitely a highlight; they were absolutely outrageous and exaggerated and fun. It was also incredibly funny, though definitely not suitable for younger viewers.
(Website)

Rock of Ages

Also very fun! (Although, a small disclaimer: I'm easily amused by all musicals). This musical's plot seemed to be taken directly from the song "Don't Stop Believin'" and was about a boy from Detroit and a girl from a small town who are trying to make it in the business in Hollywood in 1987. The music was all 80s rock music, and though I wasn't terribly familiar with it (it's a bit before my time), it was still incredibly entertaining. Also fun: those costumes. Oh, people from the 80s, what were you thinking?
(Website)

Wicked

I've already seen Wicked the last time I went to New York, but I just had to see it again. It is, truly, one of the best musicals of all time and absolutely MUST be seen by everyone at least once in their lifetimes (overly dramatic statement, I know). It really is the ultimate Broadway Musical, complete with setting, performances, musical numbers, and humour that is perfect for all ages. The amount of talent exhibited especially by Elphaba and Glinda is just beyond belief. A must see!
(Website)

The Book of Mormon

Holy crap. Definitely my favourite show I saw during my trip. This musical was about two Mormon missionaries who get sent on a mission to Uganda. Created by the guys who created South Park and the guy who wrote Avenue Q, this musical had a very similar feel (Read: incredibly hilarious and most definitely offensive). I wouldn't recommend this musical to everyone... certainly if this kind of incredibly offensive humour is not your "thing" then I would not recommend it. Listen to a couple of the musical numbers here and here before buying tickets if you're not sure.
(Website)

Billy Elliot

Good grief, the kids in this show were insanely talented. Like, way more talented than I will be at any age. Each major child role is played by multiple kids and rotated every night. I can't speak for the other Billys (though I'm sure they're brilliant too) but Peter Mazurowski was my Billy and he was awesome! He had it all: dancing, acting, singing, and the ability to talk with a convincing English accent, which is pretty impressive. This was a very well done adaptation of one of my favourite movies!
(Website)

Review: Possession by Elana Johnson

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: June 7, 2011

Pages: 416

Source: For Review from Simon and Schuster Canada (Thank you!)

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even thinkabout kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself. 
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn. 
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

In short: Possession by Elana Johnson has an interesting concept and a likeable heroine, but ultimately, the novel's downfall is its extremely fast pacing.

If there is one thing I noticed about Possession by Elana Johnson, it's the novel's extremely fast pace, which can be seen as both a blessing and a curse. Sure, it means non stop action and never a dull moment, but at the same time, things moved too fast for me to truly absorb the events that occurred in the novel and to get a feel for most of the characters. It also means that how the dystopian world in Possession originated was summarized in one paragraph, which is not nearly enough to suffice my curiosity.

The relationships between main character Vi and her two love interests in the love triangle fell flat for me, also because of the fast pacing in the novel. With Zenn, we get to see so little of him that I never got invested in his character. With bad boy Jag, things progress so unnaturally quickly that it seemed unrealistic and silly. I mean, they declared their love for each other only a few days after they met!

The world building was okay for a dystopian (world building is the number one must that I expect to be done well in dystopians). There were some interesting concepts but again, they were not given time to fully develop due to the fast pace of the novel. One thing that I thought Johnson did do very well was all the terminology that the reader has to understand to grasp the concept of the world: this could have easily been confusing with the fast pacing, but I thought Johnson handled it well and I found I could follow it fairly easily.

My favourite part of Possession would have to be the heroine, Vi, who was instantly likeable. A thief and a liar, Vi speaks and thinks in a very typical "teenage" way, with a very sarcastic tone that was enjoyable to read. Unlike some of the other characters, the reader will instantly get a feel for her personality and her rebellious nature as a "Free Thinker".

Overall, for me, the fast pace was really Possession's downfall. That said, just because this novel wasn't for me, doesn't mean I don't think someone else couldn't (and hasn't, from reviews I've read) enjoyed it a lot more. If you are someone who gets annoyed by very slow pacing in books, then I would recommend Possession to you; you would probably enjoy it more than I did!

Other Reviews:
The Bookish Type
Musings of a YA Reader
Supernatural Snark

Stalk the author (not for serious):
Blog
Website
Twitter
Goodreads

*Read as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge
*The Letter P in the A-Z Reading Challenge

Muggle Monday (10)

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I post a quote, a video, or a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this meme: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.

This week, I want to share with you a superb new interview with goddess author J.K. Rowling. In this interview with Words with JAM magazine, Jo talks about her favourite childhood book and the book that changed her life.

I don't know about you guys, but I love hearing about book recommendations from my favourite authors. If it's recommended from them, then it must be good, right? Unfortunately, Jo rarely openly recommends books to her readers so it's quite a treat to hear about these books from her:

What was your favourite childhood book, or books?

The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge. The tone is perfect: a seamless mix of the fairy-tale and the real. It also has a plain heroine, which delighted me beyond words as a child, because I was a very plain little girl and I hadn't met many literary heroines who weren't breathtakingly pretty. The opening paragraphs of The Little White Horse have stayed with me all my life. Goudge says that there are three kinds of people in this world: those who find consolation in food, those who find consolation in literature, and those who find consolation in personal adornment.
I know I read Little Women when I was eight, because we moved house shortly afterwards, when I was nine. Naturally, I whole-heatedly identified with Jo March, she of the burning literary ambition and short temper. My mother had everything Georgette Heyer ever wrote, so I whipped through those, too, when I was a pre-teen, and I FINALLY found a plain heroine there, too (Phoebe, in 'Sylvester', who also - hooray! - happened to be a writer).
Basically, I lived for books, and was sustained by literary characters with whom I could identify - I was your basic, common-or-garden bookworm, complete with freckles and National Health spectacles.

Is there a book that changed your life? If so, how?

Well, setting aside the obvious answer (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) I'd have to go for Jessica Mitford's Hons and Rebels. My great aunt thought that Jessica Mitford was a simply deplorable character (Mitford ran away from her upper class family to become a Communist and join the war against Franco in the 1930s), and I overheard her telling my mother all about her, when I was fourteen. I showed interest, so Auntie Ivy gave me an old copy of Mitford's autobiography, glad, no doubt, to get it off her respectable bookshelves. It was a most dangerous book to give to a dissatisfied, left-leaning teenager: Jessica Mitford immediately became my heroine. I read everything she'd ever written and ended up naming my eldest daughter after her.


So, I just added The Little White Horse and Hons and Rebels to my already monstrous TBR. I just love hearing about the literary characters that she has identified with in her life. I, too, get a little tired of the endless parade of "breathtakingly pretty" heroines in literature. I highly recommend you click here to read Jo's entire interview, in which she talks about ebooks, the publishing world, the Orange Prize, guilty reading pleasures, and her prehensile toes.

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren (and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie) to showcase any books that I have received for review, bought, borrowed, or won to read.

I haven't done an In My Mailbox in three and a half months! I have a lot to get through so let's get to it:

For Review from Simon and Schuster Canada

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (plus buttons and poster)

Possession ARC by Elana Johnson

Huge thanks to Simon and Schuster Canada! They are so good to me. My City of Fallen Angels review went up on the blog a week ago (I loved it!) and my review for Possession should be up on its release day, June 7. There is still time to enter in my Possession ARC Giveaway, by the way.

Bought from The Strand

The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan

White Cat by Holly Black

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

It was just INSANE how cheap the books were at The Strand Bookstore in NYC. You would never be able to find prices like that here in Canada. I bought the ten books above at extremely low prices and then seriously had to restrain myself from buying any more. I wouldn't have been able to fit any more in my suitcase on the way home! I am officially on a Book Buying Ban now.

Bought (Not from The Strand)

 Divergent by Veronica Roth

Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl

I also bought Prisoners in the Palace while I was in NYC, but from the Borders bargain bin. I broke down on my Book Buying Ban only a few days after it was put into effect and bought Divergent back at home. But it was worth it (as you can tell from my Divergent review)! And I swear I'm done for the year. I still have my birthday and Christmas left this year if I am dying to get more books, but no more book buying for me.

Won

 Wither by Lauren DeStefano (from 365 Days of Reading)

Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney (from Books Are A Girl's Best Friend)

The Girl Who Was On Fire by numerous authors (from A BookLover's Diary)

Signed Across the Universe by Beth Revis (from Looksie Lovitz)

Signed Matched by Ally Condie (from the author)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (from The Secret Life of a Bibliophile)

Signed Breathless Reads swag (bookmarks, poster) (from Looksie Lovitz)

Signed The Faerie Ring swag (bookmarks, postcard) (from Kiki Hamilton)

So, as you can see, I am one lucky S.O.B. I'm thinking I should start buying lottery tickets with the luck I get. I mean, I won two separate, signed by the author, Breathless Reads contests! Yes, I admit I am a contest junkie. I can't thank the hosts of these contests enough! Seriously, you all made day. I hope to continue to give back by hosting at least one giveaway a month. Seeing as how I just passed 500 Followers, I think that would qualify as a good excuse for a giveaway once my Possession ARC Giveaway is over.

Borrowed

 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

I borrowed these first two books in The Millenium Trilogy from my aunt and am reading the first one now. Thanks Auntie! 

Review: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: May 3, 2011

Pages: 487

Source: Bought

Rating: 5 Stars - Super Crazy Awesome!

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. 
During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her. 

In short: Just when you think there are no more original ideas left in dystopians, Divergent by Veronica Roth enters the scene with a fascinating new world and concept and a kick ass female lead character.

I just had to go back on my Book Buying Ban to purchase this book because of the intense hype it has received over the past few months, before and after its release. I was most definitely not disappointed! It was like this book was tailor-made for me. It included the most important things that I love in a great dystopian read: original and profound world building and a kick ass main character! I can't believe the author has written such an awesome book at only 22! I'm 22. Jeez, what am I doing with my life...

The initiation process into the Faction of Tris' choosing took up the majority of this almost 500 page book. Hearing about that fact, it does not sound terribly exciting or eventful, and yet I couldn't get enough! There was truly never a dull moment in the entire 500 pages. I would have gladly read on and on about Tris, her Faction, the new people, friends and enemies, that she meets. Divergent was simply addicting!

Tris, as the main character, was definitely one of the novel's strengths. Talk about a strong, independent female lead! Though she starts out as a meek member of Abnegation, she really came into her own throughout the novel and it was such a pleasure to be witness to this change. I really cannot wait to see  how she will further evolve in the next two installments. She has quite a challenge ahead of her.

Another strength of the novel was the concept and world building. Whereas some dystopians might reveal a bit too little or a bit too much about the world in the first book in the trilogy, in Divergent, we were given the perfect amount. Just enough to give us the background information we needed and yet still withholding several key pieces of information that have me dying to learn more about. Most importantly, how did it come to be that almost everyone in this new world can fit perfectly into one of 5 Factions, as most people in our world have combinations of the 5 Faction personalities?

Overall, Veronica Roth, at just 22, has delivered a thrilling new start to a dystopian trilogy that is nearly as good as The Hunger Games. Look out for the second book in the trilogy, as yet unnamed, coming 2012!

Other Reviews:

A BookLover's Diary

All of Everything

Tracy's Happy Bookshelf

Stalk the Author (not for serious):

Blog

Twitter

Goodreads

*Read as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge